This story by Faith Miller appeared on Colorado Newsline on January 23, 2022.
December 31, 2021, would be the first New Year’s Eve in 33 years that Dave Watts wouldn’t have a gig to play, he lamented on Facebook in late December.
Watts’ funk-, soul- and jazz-influenced band, The Motet, had canceled its San Diego show due to “multiple cases of covid” among the band and crew.
It was already shaping up to be a wildly abnormal holiday. Then, the day before New Year’s Eve, when the drummer and bandleader was in Los Angeles visiting friends — away from his home in Superior’s Sagamore neighborhood — Watts got the call that changed his life.
“Our road manager… was driving up from Colorado Springs, and he drove by my neighborhood and saw the plumes of smoke and all the chaos that was ensuing with all the fire trucks and police and people that were trying to escape,” said Watts, a mainstay in Colorado’s live music community whose band has grown a devoted following across the country.
Watts and his partner, Danielle Gregory, rushed to the airport as soon as the manager called and they realized the rapidly growing Marshall Fire could be putting their two dogs, who were at home, in danger.
By the time they got back to Colorado, it was already too late.
The site of Dave Watts’ former home in Superior’s Sagamore neighborhood is pictured on Jan. 3, 2022, following the Marshall Fire. Photo courtesy of Dave Watts.
The home where Watts, Gregory, their roommate and Watts’ teenage son had lived was gone along with their beloved pets, Watts’ basement recording studio, and 30 years worth of gear and memorabilia from his musical career.
Now, the household is coping with a new reality — as are another 1,000-plus Superior and Louisville families who lost their homes in the devastating Marshall Fire, the most destructive that Colorado has ever experienced.
Watts estimates he lost “three or four drum sets, about 25 snare drums, probably 50 different cymbals.” But the worst tragedy, Watts said, was losing his two dogs, Tracy and Aria. The fast-moving flames left many families with just minutes to evacuate, and Watts’ neighbors weren’t able to get to his house in time to save the pets.
“It’s the dogs that’s the hardest part, is losing family like that,” he said. “And we’re not the only ones … I think a lot of folks were at work and their pets were at home and there was nothing that they could do about it.”
Music lovers rise up
Colorado’s music community has rallied around Watts and other musicians, both experienced and aspiring, who were impacted by the fire to help them meet immediate needs and begin to heal.
“When you’re a musician,” Watts said, “you tend to carry things around with you your entire life, because you never want to sell an instrument and you always think there’s a moment when you might want to use it in the studio.”
Watts said he was overwhelmed with gratitude for the hundreds of text messages, voicemails and donations he received from friends and supporters around the country. Through one friend’s network, he and Gregory were even able to find a furnished home in Lafayette.
“Housing is so hard these days,” Watts said. “Other friends of mine, other neighbors are still looking for housing.”
“But I feel so taken care of,” he added. “My community of musician buddies are sending me gear and letting me borrow gear indefinitely, and I know I’ll build my arsenal of drum sets and snare drums and all that back, but in the meantime I have so many people that are gifting me, drum sets and cymbals and everything to get me out on the road again, so honestly I feel like I’m really well taken care of, which is amazing.”
Watts is also working to inventory lost items in hopes of receiving money from insurance, though it can sometimes take months for fire victims to get a full payout. Meanwhile, friends and fans have been providing financial support. A GoFundMe set up for Watts, Gregory, Watts’ son and their roommate had raised more than $67,000 as of Thursday.
Other local artists have been affected, too. Three musicians with the Boulder Philharmonic lost their homes and livelihoods — their instruments — in the Marshall Fire, the orchestra announced on its website. The Boulder Philharmonic is collecting donations via check or Paypal to provide direct assistance to the unnamed musicians and their families.
Also among the fire victims: lighting designer and laser technician Mike Morgenstern, who works with producer Chloé Herry, better known as CloZee. Westword reported that Morgenstern lost the lighting and laser equipment for his business, Quantum FX, along with his home in the fire. Herry, who frequently draws large crowds to electronic music shows and festivals in Colorado, shared a GoFundMe for Morgenstern on her Instagram account.
“If you guys have been to one of my shows, you know the work of my amazing lighting designer/laser operator Mike Morgenstern,” Herry wrote. “He’s been part of the CloZee project for four years now, and it wouldn’t be where it is without him. Him and his wife … lost their house on December 31 because of the #MarshallFire in Colorado. They just had time to leave with their animals. Everything else, including Mike’s laser and (lighting) equipment, are gone.”